THE EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING….We made it through Thanksgiving without a kitchen. I am thankful that we were all together for the holiday weekend and that neighbors went away and allowed us to use their oven! With no running water on the first floor and only two burners on the gas range we made it happen.

Baker #1 in foreground, Baker #2 in background preparing to go to neighbors to bake

With the kids getting older, Holiday cooking has become a group project we can all actually get behind in a wonderful way. Everyone has their favorite dish and helping each other is just part of what we do now as part of a very relaxed day.

Our tradition does not include Turkey. This year the girls wanted to try a few new things. So, even with the limitations we added to the menu and I must say the girls were impressive, making Hasselback Squash, Vegetable Wellington and scalloped Potatoes. What has become our traditional holiday meal uses recipes for the cranberries, oyster dressing and yams Richard that originated from the Commanders Palace Cookbook Marvin and I received as a wedding gift over 28 years ago. They have evolved over the years and you know its tradition when you have no idea which box that cookbook is in and you were still able to prepare the dish.

Everyone in the house loves to cook and because the house has never had a mechanical dish washer, dish washing is typical just not using this set up....

Dishes in the basement ....It is truly old school.

The lions share of dishes and water fetching and the grilling were a team effort led and dominated by these guys. Running up and down the stair to the basement via the in-progress construction to fetch water and scrub pots and dishes really was hard work. They totally earned their spots on the couch and their libations.

Well deserved chill out.

So Friday morning the men were back at work setting up shop at 7:45 am and hard at work by 8 am. HURRY UP AND WAIT….The inspections are all scheduled. The contractor and his men are doing an amazing job. We could not be more pleased with the attention they are giving to the details. Things take time and with all of our furniture pushed together with very little room to circulate patience truly is a virtue that is testing all of us.

The Attic dormer referred to in one of my earlier blogs. Note the brackets and rafter details.

The vanities are being delivered Friday…and while the tile for the floors is most likely at sea right now, I have an overwhelming urge to buy hardware pulls for the doors and drawers as well as new toothbrushes for everyone and some fluffy towels. yet we are clearly 6-8 weeks from being able to move in to the new spaces.

The Kitchen cabinets are in the warehouse now too, ready to be delivered. And yet we are not ready for them. *FUN FACT: to date no contractor has ever waited for Cabinets from Clawson Cabinets and yet clients, contractors and me, myself included are so eager to place the order because it will take a while. I repeat, no contractor has ever waited for the order to be delivered.

With the phone call about the cabinets for the kitchen being in the warehouse, I was triggered to place the final appliance order and set up estimated delivery dates. Then I began to wonder about that custom sink I designed that was being fabricated, so I rang Dino, the fabricator to inquire about a possible delivery date and to my surprise, tracking reports that eluded me say that the sink is in Jacksonville and will be at my house tomorrow!

Dino the owner sent me this picture of my new custom sink featuring the Rachiele custom sink accessories. And Note that it is tradition at Rachiele that all the craftsman sign the back of the sink.

I can hardly contain myself. with the inspection concluding, the Sheetrock will begin this Friday. As I see it coming together, it is so hard to not go shopping for everything from shelf liner to carpets, blinds and a new bed, side tables and lamps for the Master Suite….I keep promising Marvin that I will stop shopping/purchasing stuff for the new spaces and then I find another must have like this amazing coffee table from Salvage Style in Maplewood.

Conveniently located in the same building as Clawson Cabinets. The location, as well as the fact that a family member works at the Maplewood Mercantile, makes it so hard stay out of there and to keep my promise to Marvin to wait at least until the floors are finished. Thankfully, Marvin loves the table too and Amy, owner or Salvage Style and the Mercantile has offered to store it safely in the back for me until the floors are finished.

Cool new family room coffee table. I assure you that is not a pink koolaid stain, it is a reflection.

So, that is all the news for now. I promise to keep it real and and share the challenges of living in your own home while it is being renovated.